Saudi gang rape sentence 'unjust'

[revolter]

Saudi gang rape sentence 'unjust'

A lawyer for a gang-rape victim in Saudi Arabia who was sentenced to 200 lashes and six-months in jail says the punishment contravenes Islamic law.
The woman was initially punished for violating laws on segregation of the sexes - she was in an unrelated man's car at the time of the attack.

When she appealed, judges doubled her sentence, saying she had been trying to use the media to influence them.

Her lawyer has been suspended from the case and faces a disciplinary session.

Abdel Rahman al-Lahem told the BBC Arabic Service that the sentence was in violation of Islamic law:

"My client is the victim of this abhorrent crime. I believe her sentence contravenes the Islamic Sharia law and violates the pertinent international conventions," he said.

"The judicial bodies should have dealt with this girl as the victim rather than the culprit."

The lawyer also said that his client his will appeal against the decision to increase her punishment.

Segregation laws

According to the Arab News newspaper, the 19-year-old woman, who is from Saudi Arabia's Shia minority, was gang-raped 14 times in an attack in Qatif in the eastern province a year-and-a-half ago.

Seven men from the majority Sunni community were found guilty of the rape and sentenced to prison terms ranging from just under a year to five years.


Being a Muslim, I think it's a big injustice done to the girl. If the court doubled the sentence of the girl then they should have given death penalty to the rapists
Asfandyar
Saudi Arabia


The rapists' sentences were also doubled by the court. Correspondents say the sentences were still low considering the rapists could have faced the death penalty.

The rape victim was punished for violating Saudi Arabia's laws on segregation that forbid unrelated men and women from associating with each other. She was initially sentenced to 90 lashes for being in the car of a strange man.

On appeal, the Arab News reported that the punishment was not reduced but increased to 200 lashes and a six-month prison sentence.

'Personal views'

Mr Lahem accused the court of letting personal views influence its decision:

"It seems that the sentence was influenced by the fact that the woman escalated the issue with her lawyer and also with the supreme judicial authorities," he said.

"This is astonishing because justice is supposed to be independent from all pressures as well as personal considerations, be it a feeling towards the lawyer or defendant herself," he added.

The Arab News quoted an official as saying the judges had decided to punish the girl for trying to aggravate and influence the judiciary through the media.

Mr Lahem said that the judges' decision to confiscate his license to work and stop him from representing his client is illegal.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/m ... 098480.stm

Published: 2007/11/16 15:19:08 GMT

[*jr]

Sickening!

[revolter]

I personally think her sentence was unjust. Think about it, if another rape is committed in the future (and may Allah forbid) what are the chances of women in Saudi coming forward?

[Ina Baxar]

I believe whatever mistakes were done will be rectified when higher ups get a hold of this story. I mean , I could go on about stories of young women gang raped in Djibouti and also heard of a similar account when I was in Hargeysa by ciyaala suuqin , where the victim NEVER had their day in court . So marka , Saudis aren't perfect but neither are they all EVIL!!

[muktaar]

if the gurl who was rapped wasn't saudi, motha fuka's wouldnt even seen one day in jail

[*jr]

I think when there's human right violations anywhere in the world its always worse for the females, and Saudi Arabia is worst of the worst.

[Algebra]

Some times girls go with boys thinking they just having fun looking for love when the reality in the men's head is only to get them.

I do blame parents that don't educate and teach their daughters instead closing the door on them.

[razzberry]

I hears about this on the radio this morning. I literally felt ill afterward.

[waranle84]

No wonder Saudi women are locked behind doors 24/7...if they step out, they get gang raped...and then PUNISHED by the judicial system.

Whoever supports this state of law needs their heads examined.

[waranle84]

[quote="Algebra"]Some times girls go with boys thinking they just having fun looking for love when the reality in the men's head is only to get them.

I do blame parents that don't educate and teach their daughters instead closing the door on them.[/quote]

Other times girls just go out to the market, school, etc., looking for items to buy, and they get gang raped...do you blame parents then as well?

I dont get what your point is, but it has nothing to do with the victim's circumstances here.

[El Loco]

"Whoever supports this state of law needs their heads examined."

Welcome to Shari'a. Most people who want Shari'a as the law of the land can't see the forest for the trees.

[Grant]

She is lucky she lives in such an ethically advanced country and that her attackers belonged to a different sectarian group that apparently were seen as inimical. In many countries she would already have been declared the culprit and have been disposed of.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... lling.html

[El Loco]

I thnk the judge should be canned for being a moron.

[Algebra]

[quote="waranle84"][quote="Algebra"]Some times girls go with boys thinking they just having fun looking for love when the reality in the men's head is only to get them.

I do blame parents that don't educate and teach their daughters instead closing the door on them.[/quote]

Other times girls just go out to the market, school, etc., looking for items to buy, and they get gang raped...do you blame parents then as well?

I dont get what your point is, but it has nothing to do with the victim's circumstances here.[/quote]

My point is you cannot protect your kids or law cannot protect you and your kids, better to educate them to play safe and use best judgement they could. In some cultures included min think if you lock up your daughter she is safe but once she got chance she will go out to meet boys looking for love, companship and bung she was gang raped.

In this case she got in trouble because she broke the law of Saudi Arabia by meeting opposite sex and she got to their car. She was not kidnapped from shopping mall.

[Hyperactive]

Allah ha o sahlo.
mahey ka dontay wah sexual frustrated ah on Allah ka baqeynin.
I don't blame the judge but the law needs to be changed.